Barrett had arrived at the bar over an hour ago. After finishing a delicious steak, he skillfully found two card partners. He also heard the surrounding patrons boasting about Sheriff Henry's miraculous marksmanship, especially the display he made before lecturing the new deputies that afternoon.
He's indeed a formidable opponent!
The feeling of encountering a worthy adversary subtly excited Barrett's dormant blood, manifesting as his card skills becoming divinely assisted, leaving his two card partners pale-faced.
One of the gamblers finally erupted after losing all his more than ten us dollars.
He suddenly stood up, pulled out the revolver from his waist, pointed it at Barrett, and fiercely declared, "You must be cheating! How can anyone be so lucky with cards?"
The other gambler, seeing this, thought he couldn't fall behind, or he wouldn't get any money. So he quickly drew his pistol at Barrett, his mouth full of rotten teeth splitting into a sinister grin, and he fiercely said, "Disgusting cheater, hand over your gun!"
Barrett shrugged and calmly said, "Friends, we're just playing for fun; there's no need for this. How about this, I'll return your money."
The latter gambler, seeing victory in his grasp and his opponent turning out to be a softy, immediately sneered and said, "Not enough. We need compensation. Hand over all your money and your gun."
"Bang bang!"
The two gamblers' eyes blurred, and a tremendous shock ran through their hands, causing them to involuntarily release their grip. The two revolvers were sent flying into the air.
"Bang bang!" Two more gunshots rang out.
This time, the two gamblers and the bystanders saw clearly—the seated Barrett had, at some unknown moment, drawn his gun, and with two casual shots, he sent the flying pistols more than ten meters away.
The entire first-floor hall of the bar became silent. The two gamblers, pale as death, looked at Barrett pointing his gun at them, their hands at a loss.
One of the gamblers suddenly remembered something and shouted, "Sheriff Henry, he's cheating! Help us!"
Everyone looked towards Henry.
Henry unhurriedly swallowed the last small piece of steak, picked up his water glass, took a sip, and then slowly asked, "You say he's cheating, where's the evidence?"
The two gamblers were speechless.
Henry coldly stated, "You can't accuse someone of cheating just because they have good luck or good card skills. If you gamble, you must accept your losses."
"My friend, please put down your gun. I am the Sheriff here. All that money is yours to keep, go ahead and take it," Henry said to Barrett.
Barrett turned to look at Henry, smiling, and said, "Henry, I know you, but if you want me to let them go, you must defeat my gun. Are you sure?"
At this moment, everyone's gaze naturally focused on Henry's young and handsome face.
Barrett's recently displayed marksmanship was too astonishing, so everyone wanted to know how Henry would respond.
Henry suddenly realized that the other party had come specifically for him. He said in a deep voice, "I'm very sure."
Barrett smoothly inserted his pistol into his waist holster, stood up, and tipped his wide-brimmed hat in greeting, saying, "Barrett Hicks challenges Henry to a pistol duel. Please determine the time and place."
"It's him! Hicks, the Blue Reaper!"
"No wonder his hat is blue!"
"My God, he's Hicks, who's won over two hundred duels!"
"The man the Southern Army once hated and feared the most!"
"Henry's in trouble this time."
"Why is he here?"
Everyone excitedly discussed.
Henry calmly said, "Mr. Barrett, isn't it good to be alive?"
Barrett said decisively, "I insist."
"Then, following the rules of a Western duel, tomorrow at 12 PM, in the town square, a pistol exchange at 30 meters. Please have Pastor Philip as a witness," Henry stated the time and place.
Barrett bowed slightly, then took out his waist pouch, swept all the money from the table into it, and strode away.
The people in the bar hall began to chatter excitedly.
Henry looked at the worried Tor and Hank and whispered, "If someone offers odds later, help me bet 200 us dollars on myself to win."
With that, he took out his wallet, pulled out twenty ten-us dollar bills, handed them to Tor, then stood up and strode away.
Tor and Hank exchanged glances, and then soon heard someone opening a betting line—a local butcher named Locke.
"Place your bets! Henry wins at 1 to 1.8, Barrett wins at 1 to 2.1, mutual destruction at 1 to 5."
The atmosphere immediately became more lively, and everyone was calculating how to place their bets.
"Hank, how much are you betting?" Tor asked.
"Everything!" Hank gritted his teeth, looking as if he was putting his all into it.
A moment later, Tor looked at Hank with disdain. His so-called "everything" was just 50 us cents?
Unlike himself, who pulled out 2 us dollars without batting an eye!
However, Henry must win, otherwise, he might face a combined beating from Mackin and Old Mackin.
Tor, while betting 202 us dollars on Henry to win, prayed in his heart for Henry's victory.
Bald Locke loudly confirmed, "Mackinley's boy, are you sure you're betting 202 us dollars on Henry to win?"
Their two families had business dealings, so they knew each other.
Tor also shouted loudly, "Of course, our Sheriff Henry will surely win!"
The "Blue Reaper" Barrett Hicks has appeared in Fresco Town and will duel Henry with a pistol tomorrow at noon!
This news swept through the entire town like a hurricane.
Mayor William also quickly learned of it and immediately became worried.
However, since the duel invitation between the two parties had been established, there was nothing more he could do.
Unless he immediately dispatched a team of gunmen to surround Barrett and shoot him down.
But Barrett was not a fugitive; he was a fighting hero of America, and it was a fair duel, so William certainly could not do that.
Barak, the McKinley Family's town committee member, felt a sense of anticipation, hoping that Barrett would be strong enough to halt Henry's rise, or at least severely injure him.
The new deputies, having heard the vivid descriptions from Locke and Hank, mostly knew about it. Except for those still on duty, they all flocked to the four bars to place bets, all betting on Henry to win.
After all, Barrett hadn't made a move in a long time, while Henry had been dominating in recent days.
As the shifts changed for the deputies on duty, their excitement spread the news to many families, including Peter and Linda.
Linda secretly prayed in her heart, hoping that Henry would be safe.
Others enthusiastically participated in discussions and gambling, as such duels were rare in the town, especially one between two master gunmen.
In the West, fair duels with drawn guns in plain sight were very rare.
Polite, orderly duels were certainly good, but those were the rules of nobles.
Honor and dueling were the prerogatives of the upper class; ambushes and shootouts were the unspoken understanding of the lower class.